FCCL are very concerned about the use of scab labour within the fire and rescue service should industrial action take place.

We know in any union it is the ultimate sanction - the withdrawal of labour is only used as a last resort and is a democratic decision not lightly taken by the FBU.

However in South Yorkshire the Chief Fire Officer,Jaime Courtney has taken the unprecendented step of recruiting and training scab labour in an effort to pre empt any possible action by the Fire Brigades Union. This creates loads of issues - and the first one has to be for the safety of the people employed to do the job.

So as
well as hiring new staff who will receive minimum training on a zero hours
contracts, FCCL understand they are also looking at sending managers with these new crews to
incidents. The majority of managers in SYFR are members of the toothless Fire
Officers Association. These managers are surely worried and concerned that should
something go wrong at an incident then the blame could shift to them, the
professionals, who will be overseeing the totally inexperienced workforce!

The new "fire operatives" are being trained in the use of breathing apparatus but what other training can you compress into three weeks (when a normal fire fighter takes THREE MONTHS to train to minimum standards). Normally when a Firefighter completes their initial training, they are not immediately allowed to use BA operationally. The officer
in charge of the watch lets the individual gain some experience first and
introduces them gradually to fires. They will normally only enter a premises when the main fire is extinguished and they will just dampen down etc.
Eventually the officer in charge will allow them to go into a fire but only
with an experienced Firefighter. It is normally around at least 6 months
before the officer in charge feels they are capable of being a competent BA wearer.

THE DRIVING FORCE ?

Driving under blue light conditions, a new driver would have most likely been in the brigade for a number of years before becoming a driver. . Because of this they would have the
experience of being in the back of an appliance which means they already know
what is expected of them should they decide to take the plunge.

Is driving a conventional HGV vehicle the same as driving a fire appliance under blue light conditions

NO!

FCCLS advice to
managers would be to join the Fire Brigades Union and strike with their
colleagues instead of leaving firefighters to lose pay and fight for their
pensions whilst they will they will still be getting paid to supervise far from competent staff, even though managers
have got the most to lose from the proposed change in pensions.

ARE OFFICERS TOO POSH TO PUSH

(for the right to retire at 55? )

Health and safety is at the heart of fire and rescue - and nothing is more important than the health and safety of the fire fighters who carry out this dangerous role. One of the major factors in improving safety is the one thing that is taught in theory but in the main is learnt by practise - TEAMWORK. How can people with only three weeks training have the ability to operate as a team and be competent in what they do?

THEY CAN'T !!!

But does the Chief Fire Officer even care ?

At a recent community consultation event in Sheffield where FCCL was one of only two members of the public attending FCCL asked Jaime Courtney about the competency of these proposed "fire operatives" His answer was so off the cuff we actually wrote it down so as not to mis quote him.

"NOT COMPETENT - BUT WILLING !"

Willing to what exactly Jaime - DIE ?

And we here at FCCL after discussing what he said with operational and very experienced firefighters think that its the strike breaking officers who will be the scapegoats in all of this - they are even now they are being told to attend incidents with crews - so that if and when a strike takes place it can be said that attending fires is part of their everyday role.

And of course it begs the question, are the officers who will supervise these incompetent but willing crews when something goes horrendously wrong be the ones to carry the can?

Well with 18 months of campaigning under our belt we at FCCL have learnt one thing.

Chief Fire Officers most certainly do not take the blame for anything if they can dump it on somebody else!